High Cheese: Phillies name bench coach

High Cheese

The Phillies have named Pete Mackanin as their bench coach. He replaces Jimy Williams, who opted not to return after two seasons with the Phils.

Mackanin, 57, spent this past year as a pro scout for the New York Yankees after managing the Cincinnati Reds for the final 3 months of the 2007 season. The Reds went 41-39 (.513) and had the second-best record in the National League Central Division during his tenure.

In 2005, Mackanin was interim manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the team’s final 26 games. He spent seven seasons on the major league coaching staffs of the Montreal Expos (third-base coach, 1997-2000) and the Pirates (bench coach, 2003-05).

Mackanin appeared in 18 games for the Phillies over the 1978 and 1979 seasons as a player during a 9-year big-league career that also included stops with Texas, Montreal and Minnesota.

With Mackanin’s hiring, Sam Perlozzo has been named the third-base coach. Perlozzo had ben hired last week to an unspecified role. He replaces Steve Smith, who was fired.